Pirates bring rock-bottom slugger back for possible final chance to prove himself

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski has joined the team at PNC Park ahead of their home series against the Chicago Cubs, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It appears that he is coming off of the injured list and that Ji Hwan Bae is being optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Pirates placed Suwinski on the 10-day injured list at the end of August with a right groin strain. He began a rehab stint at Triple-A Indianapolis on Sept. 11. In three rehab appearances, he went 3-for-9 with a pair of homers and three walks. In 56 games at the Triple-A level this season, he is hitting .283 with an OPS of .954.

Suwinski's performance at the Major League level, however, has been a different story. In 48 games across three stints with Pittsburgh this season, Suwinski has hit .132 (16-for-121) with four doubles, three homers, eight RBI, six stolen bases and a .532 OPS. It's an unfortunate continuation of a pattern that has spanned the last two seasons for Suwinski – and yet, one that hasn't deterred the Pirates from their commitment to giving him chance after chance to prove himself in the big leagues.

Pirates refuse to give up on Jack Suwinski experiment despite drastic decline in production

Suwinski has played 386 games across four seasons with Pittsburgh since making his Major League debut on April 26, 2022. The following year, he slugged 26 home runs while knocking in 74 RBI, drawing 75 walks and recording a .793 OPS. He became just the seventh Pirates’ hitter in the divisional era (since 1969) and the first since Andrew McCutchen in 2014 to hit 25-plus homers and draw 75 or more walks in a single season.

Suwinski hasn't been able to replicate the success he had in 2023, though. In fact, he's gotten progressively worse. And yet, after two consecutive seasons of sub-.200 batting averages in the big leagues, the Pirates remain infuriatingly committed to the hope that Suwinski will return to his 2023 form.

Suwinski will be arbitration eligible for the first time in his career this offseason. Perhaps these last two weeks of the season will mark his final opportunity to show the Pirates that he can contribute in a meaningful way – and not just in Triple-A.